XBox360

Obviously, Xbox360 is a video-game machine, but it made our list because you can also access music, pictures and videos stored on your Vista or XP-based PC using a Media Center-style interface. While Xbox Live Marketplace’s video offerings are minuscule compared with iTunes’ vast library, it has a growing number of movies in HD, like Blood Diamond and Employee of the Month, TV shows include youth-oriented fare like Robot Chicken and South Park.

$399; www.xbox.com

Pros – Download content directly to Xbox’ hard drive, Access to HD movies

Cons – Lacks 802.11n compatibility

Note –  You can purchase a wireless card for $100.